Asthma, a common but incurable lung condition, affects over 20 million Americans. The patient and the healthcare system bear significant weight, with many days lost from work or school, emergency room visits, and expensive hospitalizations. Traditional guideline-directed treatment involved gradually increasing the inhaler regimen, culminating in oral corticosteroids or immune-modulating medicines. Severe asthma is frequently resistant to this treatment. Bronchial thermoplasty is a new asthma treatment that uses heat ablation of the mucosa layer to diminish the hypertrophied bronchial smooth muscle mass of asthmatic airways. Researchers presented and discussed the evidence for bronchial thermoplasty. It ranged from early feasibility studies to 5-year follow-up trials. Furthermore, problems, safety, and cost-effectiveness were addressed.
A Review of the Evidence for Bronchial Thermoplasty
